I’m all about the one pot meal. Keeping dinner simple, especially when you’re in no mood for elaborate kitchen shenanigans, is just the way it has to be sometimes. For me, those times usually come on Mondays after a busy weekend. It’s days like these that I’m most thankful for our giant cast iron pots and a bunch of ingredients that can absorb whatever flavors I choose to throw at them. Enter Thai-Style 16 Bean Soup. Remember that Thai Panang Curry recipe I shared awhile back? Well, it’s back in full force in this dish. The coconut milk base thickens the soup nicely and its intense flavors give this dish a really powerful flavor profile. The added fresh ginger, garlic and chili, embolden the taste of the Panang and really bring those elements to the forefront. Adding in the Thai culinary stock helps meld all the flavors together while subtly adding hints of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf to round it all out. Seriously, so good!
Of course the stars of this dish are the 16 different types of beans. Hooray for fiber and protein! Outside of their nutritional value, they fill out this soup to make it filling and satisfying. Combined with the sweet potato and other vegetables, this Thai-Style 16 Bean Soup is nutrient-rich and undoubtedly #HulkApproved.
And Anthony is extra excited that he only has 1 pot to wash! I’m so thoughtful. 😉
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups Thai culinary stock
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- ½ lb 16 bean soup dried bean medley
- ½ cup panang curry paste
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 carrots
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 Thai chili pepper (or serrano chili pepper)
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh sliced ginger
- 3 medium organic purple sweet potatoes
- 1 large bay leaf
- ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- First things first: prep your veggies. Rinse and drain your beans. Dice the onion, celery, and bell peppers. Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Mince the garlic and chili and peel and slice the ginger.
- Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot (I used our 6 quart cast iron pot) with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute 2-3 minutes over medium heat until softened and they begin to brown.
- Add the garlic, celery, carrots, and bell peppers. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, to taste, and saute 1-2 minutes more.
- Stir in the panang curry paste until melted.
- Carefully pour in the Thai stock, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any little bits of flavor that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Next, add the vegetable stock, beans, potatoes, chili and bay leaf.
- Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans have softened and the flavors are melded.
- Just before serving, stir in the lime juice and cilantro, reserving some cilantro for garnish.